ANNOUNCEMENTS (PT 1) - GAME TRAJECTORY / SOTU
Jul. 6th, 2025 11:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
modmaster posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
limelight_oocHello, hello! No new placements today, but I figured I'd still have a "things that are going on" announcements for now! Some of it has important information and some changes so please make sure to read it thoroughly!! I'm going to split it in two, one for kind of discussing the trajectory of the game and then the other for general updates!
I had some questions from a few different folks about the current trajectory of endgame and what I've got planned for that so I'd thought I would answer some of it and share with others. I can't address everything just for spoilers sake but these should be fine.
Will characters be able to go back to their home at the end?
The answer is YES. This isn't a situation where their worlds are not available to go back to, they aren't exploded, they aren't stuck in Estoria forever. There are perhaps some shenanigans as to how they can exist in Estoria
Can characters continue on in Estoria (or another world) instead?
The answer is also probably YES. Again, there are probably weird shenanigans as to how this world works, but if a character's canon world is just bad (or they're dead there lols), there are ways to mitigate that ending to fulfill their desires. And honestly, if you headcanon your own ending, that's also okay, I can't stop you from that!!
The original ooc intro in the introduction page states :"These characters have always believed they lived in Estoria, but it's not true. At some point, they lost their original canon selves, whether through fake memories or amnesia and as they continue to partake in the performances, they realize that perhaps they've been forced to act out a new role against their will. " Does this still apply?
Yes, this part can still apply, but it has hopefully expanded to allow different interpretations for different characters. The original was very very limited, and honestly would be bleak if it continued this way based on the actions so far so it needed to change a bit.
Are the Estoria lives completely fake? Depends on the character you ask. The experiences they had are their own, and depending on how they view their canon lives, they might either say "well this life is real, too, because I lived this out" or "I was forced into this role against my will because they took me from my original home".
IS THIS STRAIGHT UP REINCARNATION?
Based on MY INTERPRETATION of reincarnation as a theme, I'd say no, it is not straight up reincarnation and like I said, people can go back home in the end. But there are probably similar themes to where if a character were to interpret it that way (and also depending on a character's canon after all....) it's not farfetch'd to say so. IDK how to explain it without spoilers further than, there's obviously some weird meta story/legend/myth reasons for these things and you can be pretty open-ended on how your character got to this world (some characters are also meta adjacent with their canons).everyone is secretly a fate/stay night servant but this is probably not a completely inaccurate adjacent interpretation that can be extrapolated.
I can't answer these wholesale because I cannot speak for every character. The endgoal is that there's enough to allow different characters to have the endgame that they want and to live their lives the way they want because that's their story they wish to tell OR their life to live. Is my character just a character? Is the life I live in Estoria real or fake? There are multiple narrators in this game that has THEIR answers on these questions, but the characters will also likely have their own and that difference is what I look forward to seeing.
Why are some answers just PROBABLY or YES AND NO?
Here is how this plot came to be and how it gets adjusted. I had general themes and ideas that I wanted to follow and I created new lore along the way based on actions players took in the beginning, and depending on how players take that lore and the choices they made, I would then adjust the plot to fit it. The reason I do this is because if I had a very 100000% solid story at the very start with no flexibility to it, people's actions would often lead to dead ends unless I beat them in the head with very obvious clues as to what they need to look for.
I DON'T FIND THIS FUN BECAUSE I'M NOT GOOD AT IT. I'VE TRIED IT BEFORE, I'M NOT VERY SUCCESSFUL because I either get bored or players get frustrated.
I am much better at following character's train of thoughts and combining them and make them feel meaningful that way. I also find it more exciting to have random plot beats that don't make sense at the start and then watch them slowly come together and you find that everything is connected in some way. That can be frustrating when you want an answer from something you found in October, I def. get that. but a lot of my fictional preferences are like this so it's my default storytelling method.
Because of that though, some of my original thoughts and predictions to where the story would go has done a 180. Some of the things I might have said or predicted/planned at the start has swiveled and I cannot help that because I want to tell the stories of the players and characters, not just my own. The original reason as to why everything has happened has completely changed trajectory because of what characters have done and said, and in my opinion, it's for the better.
So yes! Some things can change, and that's why I say PROBABLY. That might make it difficult for playability for some, and I apologize for that, I get it. This is how I run plot things (which this game ALSO became waaaay more plotty than I expected) and I can only adjust as I go along. I haven't modded a big plot game since I was 20 years old (crying lmao im a grandmother) so I cannot be perfect at what I do, but I can only give you my word that I'm trying very hard to make sure that the ending will make as many people satisfied as possible.
IS THAT WHY THERE'S THIS PLOTHOLE!!!11!
Yes....... I'm sorry......... I can't keep track of every plot beat and might miss a few things. Forgive me, I value excitement/people solving things over 100000% accuracy, but also I'm a foolish potato.......
That said, as you can see, some of the mysteries ARE starting to get resolved or answered and it'll likely ramp up in that direction and less about (ooo mystery clues ooooo). The first things that are starting to come together are the Estorian Legends obviously, but the Showmaster's story is also starting to be touched upon. And then there is of course, the Ocean and the Ticketmaster as well, which will then lead to the answer of the final question, "Why am I here?".
I'm not a masterful writer or storyteller but it's the story I want to try and tell and I hope you get SOME fun somewhere out of it. If not, that's okay, I understand and no hard feelings!
I WILL ALSO SAY, at this point, a lot of the story beats are now solidified so there won't be as many secret huge change after this point and there is a chance characters will probably run into dead ends more often than before. However, because there are now so many different leads and people HAVE the clues, they should be able to find what they want in the end.
I apologize this might all be confusing, my brain is a mass of confusion, I am sure I warned you all of this at some point. I don't have much reference for AU games so I'm doing a lot of experimenting so it's a bit messy, I get it. ANYTIME YOU HAVE CONCERNS please email me at any time! I have no problem trying to hash things out to make things playable/fun for you to the best of my ability!
OH YES ONE MORE THING, I currently have it set where the game will last at least 6 months to one year more. THAT'S A MINIMUM FTR "AT LEAST" IS THE KEYWORD HERE! I'm not saying it will last ONLY that amount, but just that I'm trying to prepare for at least that amount of time, and can extend it further out as needed but I am not running a game that lasts five years lol. I WANT A SATISFYING ENDING SO! Realistically another year or so isn't too crazy unless everyone finds they want to move on in which case, I'll be ready to do that anytime. :9b
I had some questions from a few different folks about the current trajectory of endgame and what I've got planned for that so I'd thought I would answer some of it and share with others. I can't address everything just for spoilers sake but these should be fine.
Will characters be able to go back to their home at the end?
The answer is YES. This isn't a situation where their worlds are not available to go back to, they aren't exploded, they aren't stuck in Estoria forever. There are perhaps some shenanigans as to how they can exist in Estoria
Can characters continue on in Estoria (or another world) instead?
The answer is also probably YES. Again, there are probably weird shenanigans as to how this world works, but if a character's canon world is just bad (or they're dead there lols), there are ways to mitigate that ending to fulfill their desires. And honestly, if you headcanon your own ending, that's also okay, I can't stop you from that!!
The original ooc intro in the introduction page states :"These characters have always believed they lived in Estoria, but it's not true. At some point, they lost their original canon selves, whether through fake memories or amnesia and as they continue to partake in the performances, they realize that perhaps they've been forced to act out a new role against their will. " Does this still apply?
Yes, this part can still apply, but it has hopefully expanded to allow different interpretations for different characters. The original was very very limited, and honestly would be bleak if it continued this way based on the actions so far so it needed to change a bit.
Are the Estoria lives completely fake? Depends on the character you ask. The experiences they had are their own, and depending on how they view their canon lives, they might either say "well this life is real, too, because I lived this out" or "I was forced into this role against my will because they took me from my original home".
IS THIS STRAIGHT UP REINCARNATION?
Based on MY INTERPRETATION of reincarnation as a theme, I'd say no, it is not straight up reincarnation and like I said, people can go back home in the end. But there are probably similar themes to where if a character were to interpret it that way (and also depending on a character's canon after all....) it's not farfetch'd to say so. IDK how to explain it without spoilers further than, there's obviously some weird meta story/legend/myth reasons for these things and you can be pretty open-ended on how your character got to this world (some characters are also meta adjacent with their canons).
I can't answer these wholesale because I cannot speak for every character. The endgoal is that there's enough to allow different characters to have the endgame that they want and to live their lives the way they want because that's their story they wish to tell OR their life to live. Is my character just a character? Is the life I live in Estoria real or fake? There are multiple narrators in this game that has THEIR answers on these questions, but the characters will also likely have their own and that difference is what I look forward to seeing.
Why are some answers just PROBABLY or YES AND NO?
Here is how this plot came to be and how it gets adjusted. I had general themes and ideas that I wanted to follow and I created new lore along the way based on actions players took in the beginning, and depending on how players take that lore and the choices they made, I would then adjust the plot to fit it. The reason I do this is because if I had a very 100000% solid story at the very start with no flexibility to it, people's actions would often lead to dead ends unless I beat them in the head with very obvious clues as to what they need to look for.
I DON'T FIND THIS FUN BECAUSE I'M NOT GOOD AT IT. I'VE TRIED IT BEFORE, I'M NOT VERY SUCCESSFUL because I either get bored or players get frustrated.
I am much better at following character's train of thoughts and combining them and make them feel meaningful that way. I also find it more exciting to have random plot beats that don't make sense at the start and then watch them slowly come together and you find that everything is connected in some way. That can be frustrating when you want an answer from something you found in October, I def. get that. but a lot of my fictional preferences are like this so it's my default storytelling method.
Because of that though, some of my original thoughts and predictions to where the story would go has done a 180. Some of the things I might have said or predicted/planned at the start has swiveled and I cannot help that because I want to tell the stories of the players and characters, not just my own. The original reason as to why everything has happened has completely changed trajectory because of what characters have done and said, and in my opinion, it's for the better.
So yes! Some things can change, and that's why I say PROBABLY. That might make it difficult for playability for some, and I apologize for that, I get it. This is how I run plot things (which this game ALSO became waaaay more plotty than I expected) and I can only adjust as I go along. I haven't modded a big plot game since I was 20 years old (crying lmao im a grandmother) so I cannot be perfect at what I do, but I can only give you my word that I'm trying very hard to make sure that the ending will make as many people satisfied as possible.
IS THAT WHY THERE'S THIS PLOTHOLE!!!11!
Yes....... I'm sorry......... I can't keep track of every plot beat and might miss a few things. Forgive me, I value excitement/people solving things over 100000% accuracy, but also I'm a foolish potato.......
That said, as you can see, some of the mysteries ARE starting to get resolved or answered and it'll likely ramp up in that direction and less about (ooo mystery clues ooooo). The first things that are starting to come together are the Estorian Legends obviously, but the Showmaster's story is also starting to be touched upon. And then there is of course, the Ocean and the Ticketmaster as well, which will then lead to the answer of the final question, "Why am I here?".
I'm not a masterful writer or storyteller but it's the story I want to try and tell and I hope you get SOME fun somewhere out of it. If not, that's okay, I understand and no hard feelings!
I WILL ALSO SAY, at this point, a lot of the story beats are now solidified so there won't be as many secret huge change after this point and there is a chance characters will probably run into dead ends more often than before. However, because there are now so many different leads and people HAVE the clues, they should be able to find what they want in the end.
I apologize this might all be confusing, my brain is a mass of confusion, I am sure I warned you all of this at some point. I don't have much reference for AU games so I'm doing a lot of experimenting so it's a bit messy, I get it. ANYTIME YOU HAVE CONCERNS please email me at any time! I have no problem trying to hash things out to make things playable/fun for you to the best of my ability!
OH YES ONE MORE THING, I currently have it set where the game will last at least 6 months to one year more. THAT'S A MINIMUM FTR "AT LEAST" IS THE KEYWORD HERE! I'm not saying it will last ONLY that amount, but just that I'm trying to prepare for at least that amount of time, and can extend it further out as needed but I am not running a game that lasts five years lol. I WANT A SATISFYING ENDING SO! Realistically another year or so isn't too crazy unless everyone finds they want to move on in which case, I'll be ready to do that anytime. :9b
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